Chapter 200
pfNDf1“Ugh…”So5Ox2T
KApuTulwin Esrin opened his eyes with a suffocating sensation.w3NN
teg‘I’m tied up…’PCk0d
vhH3pyHis hands and feet were restrained, preventing him from moving freely. On top of that, his body was strapped to a bed, so he couldn’t even sit up.yvbDv
SvJOwHe couldn’t even turn his head—his only view was the ceiling.Nqwy
zeEaI6‘Where am I?’7A5
c9VGiwbIt wasn’t a prison or his personal palace. It looked more like a luxurious tent.1ZuQ
VzDRYxThis was completely different from what he had expected. He thought he’d wake up imprisoned in a royal cell or back at his own estate.0gi
g4o‘How long was I unconscious? What’s going on?’1y5satS
d9FGEverything was confusing.wp0l
hTfW‘I’m thirsty. Isn’t anyone here!?’70kSV3
p123j9RA burning thirst consumed him. He tried shouting to call someone, but only a faint wheeze escaped his dry lips.eMoJRA
kd3a73TThen, cold water brushed his lips and moistened his throat. The refreshing sensation quelled the burning thirst, and he drank desperately, gulping loudly.Xr9gtQ5
Y2zpv“More… I want more!”FQ1Z
JG1He opened his mouth desperately, like a hatchling waiting for food.giN9
H2VjAt that moment, soft hands suddenly turned him over.LF5OF
4ZB“What are…?”orX53A
stEIkyHis body was flipped so quickly that he didn’t even see the person’s face. A moment later—AvzIIc
ITKWWhack!vwYTj
QDmIaIHis vision went black.1hTfh
nGDLM“…He’s unconscious again.”TBtJ
oNR5OMA— I told you a blow to the neck would knock him out in one hit.lrNWkU
GJk“Are there going to be any problems?”2h2k3sv
4PzThe one responsible for knocking out a royal prince, Aint Armian, smiled a little awkwardly.c0J
qLBNx— For now, no. But since it’s a physical blow, repeating it too many times could have consequences.GrPlMqd
iyxusNg— Let’s just pray Fernan comes back soon—before something happens to Tulwin Esrin.kNAFi0A
U50vk“Eh, did his body just twitch?”6lEAq
lTnf— Impossible.KyRa
ub87q“Just in case, I’ll give him another one.”ATS8R
Kpixhk— Do it. Better to do a thorough job.TYF
IjO5Whack!smfUk
8FkCNGThe prince’s body was as still as a frog crushed under a rock.z9a
MHKreF7“At least I gave him water first. Makes me feel a little less guilty.”1cg
duQc— …Don’t say that out loud anywhere.pW6Qsrl
0JjAint exited the tent.YTB
9cb6udOnly the sound of Tulwin Esrin’s irregular breathing remained.UR6
QN0QFT8***44Dpw3x
cAjh5M1Rumble—u380Wj
4wuW9Finally, the door opened.oB17C
QQ65YWhat lay inside?h2fft
JjRZzO2The first Pontiff of the Dragon God Cult—what had he left behind for his descendants?YtM
CzQTeFOIf he had built a dungeon of such magnitude, it couldn’t be anything trivial.aIJqYv
ltMNAt the very least, it had to be worth more than the cost of its construction.PAlsj
DWwFernan could barely contain the excitement in his chest.k3cJG
FH4KO“Not going in?”kjSoHk
cKuMdPD“Just catching my breath.”wVavf
I21J“Huh?”mz7
smV4“I’m going in.”rePQb4
m9vBLQFernan stepped forward with solemnity.aBGmK
wLti‘Gold would be best. If there’s a mountain of it, like what the First Emperor left behind, that’d be perfect.’xz3cPVk
BUyJYSBut even if it wasn’t money, anything of equal value would be fine.tZPvcu
KNy‘Elixirs are always useful.’ZvcC9
Q0mNY9gOr magical beasts like the sacred bird Silver.hXGLYXO
9C5X‘A legendary weapon wouldn’t be bad either…’AMnR9
01U87Z3Like the First Emperor’s sword that Aint now wielded.nB0gQ1
viD9‘Even if it’s just a symbol—if it belongs to the Cult, it’d be worth a fortune.’xJ61OVi
saKVlSince it was tied to religion, any symbol could be turned into money. He could sell it back to the Cult for an astronomical price.ZmS
xXX8F‘I already took all the magic lamps…’r5EC
CJiDIf he could take the entrance door too, the Dragon God Cult would go nuts—but it was sealed with fixing magic and couldn’t be removed.sA8r
YgEOyCFAt last, the interior was revealed.9tEE6fv
l1kxaIt was a space as large as the chamber guarded by the Chimera.GYnVGv
8LtAt the center stood a gigantic statue of a white dragon; above it, hundreds of magic lamps; behind it, three doors.2hU5
79HE“….”cxvu
HrqBA“Wow… this is incredible.”Zx2U8
Narx4The dragon was majestic, fierce and elegant at once—a contrast of brutality and beauty. No description seemed adequate.tmqUX0
tBboIt wasn’t the work of human hands.nGT3v1X
sSYrAnd that also meant it had no human price.zvoRV
YoAC“Doesn’t seem to have any special magical power.”JK2
R4BrBnAt most, a preservation spell. That meant it could be stored in subspace with no problem.bn9X
r16WFernan smiled greedily.HRk3x
RowPx“…Is that really all you think about when you see this?”ez6GhOu
ZFvb“I think other things too.”j0l2u
XWGXuG“Right? No matter how much you love money…”d0RnnL
OyB“The statue already has incalculable value. But with the right backstory, its price multiplies.”zNH7
1ih“Huh?”QFzhb
vAG“If presented as a work of the first Pontiff and a symbol of the Cult, they’d pay billions to get it back.”qATLLu
olNlAThe Cult would have no choice but to pay whatever he asked. Displaying something like this outside their territory would be a huge stain on their prestige.C3Xjeh
jqVK“…God. You’re seriously obsessed with money.”NNeD
E4vKb“If you don’t want it…”DfFQm
ZAdQSex“Honestly, I’m crazy too. I love money as well.”B7hc9cy
md5wAria smiled broadly.2j0qo
UBwm“Let’s check those doors first.”CaG
HHRBehind the statue were three doors marked with symbols: a staff, a book, and a potion.pxn
t7NLbn“I think I know what this is about.”slDaeJg
ppXdd“Me too.”ywh0yJ
lJD5zlThey opened the first.LUX2
fPVO75In the center of the empty room was a staff as white as snow.hKpKP
hqGHCiFernan and Aria gulped.lHw
HFXsMjWThe magical power it emitted and the engravings on its surface were top-tier. It clearly surpassed any staff they’d ever seen.KY2
9cfO“…Let’s move to the next room.”fuiF
aw0The second, marked with the symbol of a book, was filled with shelves of advanced magical treatises. Each one had the potential to revolutionize the magical world.ggGEKae
4wbU“I’m not greedy. Can I just keep the spirit summoning ones?”w3Dwf
jr5“…That’s fine.”MdRgSl
5n8T“A subspace bag will do…”bRPxY
o2ZAeThey took everything. Fernan even loaded up the shelves, made of fine wood and engraved with preservation circles—a perfect luxury for nobles.RU9Ctp
ud5dThe third contained potions—large quantities of high-grade healing and mana elixirs.raJB
CZMUi“Perfect.”jCXa6nU
tRLzWith that, they could develop even better products. Fernan took them all, leaving some for Aria.ieEPHI
694oeaY“Only one thing left.”L9JQUl
bGEThe dragon statue.Jirlt
scXWhen he poured mana to check the floor, it repelled him.5UOKV
O0X“There’s something here.”6gXF
ozEOyBu“What’s underneath?”vjBk
7Xf6M6“Under the statue. I can’t touch the ground. Aria, lift it with magic.”hIa6p
WvnV2A“Yes.”m1cKXvN
5y0She summoned a spirit and lifted the statue.te06
ZtCNaU2“Careful. If it gets damaged, it loses value.”g3dOK09
7uzes“That warning is what scares me the most.”2GxULJ
QkdBFortunately, Aria managed to store it in subspace without a problem.hgkb
E2aBeneath it was a small metal door with an inscription.0DjZa
0Md6【Whoever keeps the symbol of the Cult until the end shall have the right to this.】xrtw3tm
Fwc“…Keep the symbol of the Cult?”kfAc3IA
FDqGRf9Aria looked at Fernan with a strange expression. The meaning was clear—few would take the statue, and those who did would be proving true devotion.W41rr
IATmuOf course, in Fernan’s case, he only wanted to sell it to the Cult.0WL3h
K2z“In the end, what matters is getting there, whether on foot or on horseback.”9c4
gvb2Fernan ignored the warning and opened the door.jqUDRq
aPpy8There was nothing except a panel shaped like a hand.oVUDd
6vj“What’s this?”cJi
2Gocfv“Looks like it says to place your hand.”T2mN6oW
AzJ2uO【Place your hand.】hp3r
7U9z“….”rTitI
u1IKIt was risky, but he doubted this place had been built to kill its own.LQ85B5i
s4DcE“What if you try it and I take the staff?”lnZ3
mODAjy“Trying to trick me, huh? What if this is actually the valuable thing?”FjFt
0lA3“Well, life is a matter of luck too.”dnKQ2
dlpU98“Nonsense.”s4OhwR
8EHm0c9Fernan placed his palm on it.HPa
ktx“First we have to see what it actually—”s54GR
R8DRt2Suddenly—f6i
pFi5────!YdC
1l9RbgA blinding light engulfed him.8dyD5Dp
s5tcO4EA surge of mana violently entered his magical circuits. His heart pounded wildly.7oRyr
lEEfiyThe pain was unbearable.nQ8MZ
67HvEThe brutal mana devoured his own mana, spreading through his mana heart and entire body.cnliB0m
r4felj3Crack!BTPPb1Q
PtXUHis skin tore, bones and muscles broke and regenerated over and over again.vXKYW
OXEvW7“Graaahhh!”DFnFIk
z5QrTh“Fernan!”ORudk8
AsElSpeAria tried to approach, but the tide of mana kept her away.RhSeiG
Z2dThen, on the wall, the letters began changing in real time.iEu
bIA5【You have obtained…】2EE7c
NZF【You have obtained the Dragon Heart.】QQh
8G815【Congratulations on obtaining the Dragon Heart.】j1IqZ
fbJh“Whaaaat?!”aF5
NbuE0R***uggzU
unF“…….”1Th
GRnFernan opened his eyes.Rq2v
z0OAs if the pain just moments ago had been a lie, his body felt lighter than ever.usNEeda
lteeHe calmly examined his interior.lHcv
J7GdHis mana heart had grown more than twice its size. The mana density was much higher, his muscles and bones had strengthened like never before, and his mana circuits had vastly expanded.US8qN
0wNHAyoIt was like waking up after a good rest—his mind was clear, and his body overflowed with strength.xRhJx2
DihWboBut that wasn’t all.4UFmm
uHacA massive amount of unabsorbed mana still lingered throughout different parts of his body.AK5HUF
6jtOW“Back to consciousness?”AUh
AabxAria’s face suddenly appeared, blocking the light from the magical lamps above.RuW
Me1“…What happened?”zXkXb
J1Khz“You absorbed a Dragon Heart.”56Ld
tk70NjF“Dragon Heart…?”LkIzs
f319Yid“Yes, look.”nQSSaq
i0MHK【Congratulations on obtaining the Dragon Heart.】khG
p5C6v3The message had changed on the panel.Evj2y
nO3CW“…I got a Dragon Heart?”BtSX
ybXS“If the one who made this place wasn’t lying, then yes. And honestly, with that, the very least you could do is give me the staff. Don’t you agree?”T1KFGB
YBd2LF“…If it really is a Dragon Heart.”Xv1IoS
Ux3klIt pained him to give it up, but without Aria, they wouldn’t have made it through all those traps.XhY
7rNBesides, she was also one of the companions recognized by the prophecy book alongside Aint, and her growing stronger wasn’t a bad thing.sKCP
PapNLI“You’d know that better than I would. How do you feel?”5mhUaTF
kbilQ“…Better than ever.”HYqg
TPoQ3He felt like he could easily become the best in the Academy, even without artifact support.NRs3vCe
Co3GNg“Seriously… this is amazing.”3agVk
yUBQIt felt like he’d been reborn.15K0Q
sJzcK“So, the staff is mine?”kUW5
Nazm“…Do what you want.”Bj3p
5I9YIRK“Believe me, I’m being generous. No matter how incredible that staff is, it’ll never compare to a Dragon Heart.”3gI4xtV
1B93True. No elixir was worth that much.2EUG2zf
xROnHad“But… don’t you think something’s odd? If it really was a Dragon Heart, my body shouldn’t have been able to withstand it.”gbom9qq
QYNI“When you were absorbing it, runes were glowing all over your body.”FEpCy
rqRk“A magic that compensates for what’s lacking?”UzEJhgS
c0BL0To“Probably.”bmTv3
towr“If that’s the case, it’s incredible. What kind of being was the first Pontiff of the Dragon God Cult?”DQqG
cZl“Are you sure it was him?”6mCz
24EOS“Just a guess, for now.”EckFajR
sbJFernan checked his body again and changed his half-shredded clothes.e9u6Zl
NmtIeZ“It was totally worth it. I don’t feel like these two weeks were wasted.”btJ
qvGFIf anything, it couldn’t be called a loss.PPSkty
pSpCUHe’d gained clarity from the traps, taken countless grimoires and potions, and now a Dragon Heart. How could it not be worth it?LqdVWrC
LBG9Z“…But, thinking about it, doesn’t all this belong to the Dragon God Cult?”eSCh
LD4“Things without owners belong to whoever finds them first.”INjuq6D
NvFpSe9“No matter how you look at it, these seem like relics left by former pontiffs.”aD4JKf
x2AO“Listen carefully, Aria.”VsoyrQJ
GTq3rKFernan grabbed her shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes.vkQl
bBQ“Centuries have passed. After so long, no one can claim ownership of something lost.”J9LI
rFv27“But we don’t know if it’s been centuries.”OSIWm
Ybj“Then are you going to hand that staff over to the Cult?”OfBNUI8
HBXawbl“Of course not.”6YP1k
S2stcR“Then remember this.”7JtTMT
oie6JWe—PAS
HjvuqbP“Nothing happened here.”APQpUL
sgpHUNothing at all.evvxPf3
PmG“…This feels familiar.”moYmrj
qGRnMq“What did I just say?”VnBb
Mrj9J8N“Nothing happened here.”UJO
IZ1S“Exactly.”103UE
MUsYPr“But then, what excuse are you going to use to sell the white dragon statue? Weren’t you going to say it was made by the first Pontiff?”uLFek33
rev“…Damn it.”cABtcMy
AyQutqFernan bit his lip.AAvizWc
Wg9kIf it weren’t for the Dragon Heart, he would’ve revealed this place and sold everything at an outrageous price using the backstory.kFq8
YE6Q‘I might have to give up some things, but I’ll still sell the statue at a high price. Though, having absorbed the Dragon Heart, that’s no longer possible.’x7NBgES
zIQKKUnless he destroyed the only proof.Nhz
e4W“Aria, destroy that with everything you’ve got.”2gfF
FbaThe blast of wind struck the panel with the inscription—but not a single scratch appeared.u4VEPh
8oOKNu4Fernan tried to deform the metal—no success.qK8aCmO
MrdEven with his newfound power, beyond simple rebirth from the Dragon Heart, he couldn’t alter it.ALZ
nCvPxClAnd he understood.QTsw
w4KsRSlThat simple-looking mechanism hid extremely high-level magic.w6fX7Z
JHGAnd also—yEf
Ah5bUHW“…It’s adamantite.”9bsoyX
pXgHe realized the material.7vC8
MYxJ0“Huh?”Bl4A
7wEBk7w“It’s pure adamantite, 100%. Not an alloy or anything. They engraved runes to fix it in place.”LJEtAR1
vAX0PmvInsanity.EbUe2
R161qhHe wanted to take it, but lacked the ability. He had never hated his own limits so much.e3utF
bqf“We’ll have to come back later. Until I can rip it out, this stays a secret.”05qiL
VjJSauD“If it’s not Archmage-level, it seems impossible—but understood.”mtKlTWy
yLjpyhNThe place was left empty. Only darkness remained.8lg
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